Tape-dispensing mechanisms



Dec. 6, 1955 w. s. SHEE TAPE-DISPENSING MECHANISMS Filed Dec. 29, 1951 INVE TOR ATTORNEYS TAPE-DISPEN sns G MECHANESMS William S. Shee, Woodbridge, ConrL, assignor to Derby Sealers, Incorporated, Derby, Connecticut Application'December 29, 1951, Serial Nor-264,199 2Claims. (Cl. 271--2.4)

This inventionsrelates to a device for dispensing tape and more especially pressure-sensitive \tape or rtapeithat is tacky upon one side.

Machines for dispensing :tape of this kind provide in some instances 'rollers'or other feed'devices for drawing the tape from fthe roll and 1deliverin-gitaor dispensing it inthe form of aefree iengthiprojecting from the machine, which tfreelength may be grasped 'byzthe user. 1 In some instances the user draws the free end acrossthe blade of -a severing member-so that "itmay be=severed from the remainder 'T0f'iih6 tape :on 'the :supplyzroll. The present invention relates to a device which is provided with: tapefeeding'rmeans or means for -drawing the tape from .the supply roll rather than a tdevice in which the tape is grasped 'by the fingers and drawnfrom ithe :supplyiroll by a pullexerted directlybyithe user.

When a len th 1 of-ztape .hitS :bieen dispensed-by the'ma- -chine and the tires :end :of athe dispensed tape-depends downwardly, :it is likely to come i into contact =with a part of thetmachine on even with'thesupporting wsurface'zupon which the :machine rests, .and :as -.the tacky side f the tape will of course, cting to any object with which it comes=in contact; this. presents considerable inconvenience.

it is-contemplated by thetpresentiinvention to provide a support which may be rengaged .by the-tree :end of tthe dispensed tape so ithat :the tape will sbetprevented from coming in contact with other objects. At :the :same time the .-support1will :be ofsuch a character :that it will not :prevent theuserigraspingithe-free end-.oflthe tapertorapply it or to tear it oit against the severing blade, if .thelatter operation is necessary.

Also, :the :memberwwhich supports :the zfreeiend of the tape is adjustableand, ass-illustrated,is-pivotally mounted so that it may be swung about this pivot to various positions in front of-thefeeding-mechanism or to a position below=this mechanism-where-it is out of the 'wayand inoperative. The supporting member is also adjustable toward and from the feed mechanism as well as being adjustable about'its-pivotyand to this-end is mounted in slots-in a'pair or" pivoted armsyone at each'end of the supporting member so that it may be adjusted along these arms in the slots.

One object of the invention is to provide a, tape-dispensing mechanism with means to engage and support the free end of the tape which has been drawn from the supply roll.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tapedispensing mechanism having feeding means for drawing a length of tape from a supply roll with a supporting element to support the length of tape which has been dispensed, the supporting element being mounted forwardly of the feeding mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a tape-dispensing mechanism of the character described, a tape-end-supporting member mounted forwardly of the feed mechanism, which member is adjustable toward and from the feed mechanism in the direction of the path of the tape.

Comm, a corporation of 2,726,084 Patented Dec. 6, 1%5'5 2 Still another-object of the invention is to "provide a supporting member for the free-endof the 'tapeinn tapedispensing mechanism, which supportingmember willxbe adjustable transversely of the pathof the tape.

To these and other ends the inventionconsists'in'the novel features and combinations of parts to rbe 'he'reincomprisinga frame or casehaving-upstanding side memhers '10 and 11 and a removable cover 12. Rotatably mounted in the side members '10 and 11 "are-shafts ?13 and 14, the shaft 13 supporting a feed rollerand the shaft-14supportinga-strippingroller.

it will beunderstood-that the invention is not limited to a particular type offced roller'or a'particular type of stripping roller but, as shown, theshaft13 is-ofip'olygonal formbetweenitsbearings, an-dsupon this shaftare mounted a pluralityof spaced disks 15 having serrated edges 16 with which thetape engages to be drawn fromtthesupp'ly roll (not shown) .Also, the-shaft 14 0f thestripping'r'oll'is shown-as'of rectangular cross section, and upon this shaft :arernon- *rotatabiy mounted a plurality of spaced stripping =disks -17 having serrated edges 18 Whichengagethc.tape,'-shown at '19, and strip illzffOH'l'lthfi :feeding-disks'r15. .-As shown in Fig. 2, the stripping disks 1'7 overlap-'orextend bet tween the spaced'disks 15' 'of the feed roll so that the tape will not be permitted to be carried aroundithe -latter. Any suitable means may-be employed for driving the shafts 13 and 1 4, such means being well known 'in 'the art and as is :alsoihe general practice, thesstrippingrroll will be driven-at'a peripheral'speedgreaterdhan'that'of the feed'roll so that the 1disks 0f the stripping rollwill thus be stripped from the dispensed .tape. As illustrated,

the device is provided -with a lever or oseillatinghandle '20 pivoted at 21, which handle -'is -adapted -to-drive the feed and stripping rolls. A severing member zfi 'is secured to a supporting plate 24, the latter being carried 'by ,lugs 25 formed integrally with the frame members "10 and 11. The blade 23-maylie-betweenthe-support 24 and a backing member 26 secured tothe-supportso that it may be made of relatively thin material and at the same .time :be held rigidly in place. The severing. edge of thismemberprojects towardthe bite between the ?feed and stripping rolls so that thetape will ibe severed at a point-adjacent vthe surface of feed roll.

vA .rod 30 rise-mounted in -.the frame .members 10 and 11, the ends of this rod projecting beyond the frame members and providing pivot means for a pair of links 31 which are provided with elongated slots 32. The end portions of the rod 30 are received in the slots 32 and the arms or links 31 may be held in place by nuts 33 received on the threaded ends of the rod 30. It will be understood that the members 31 may be pivotally swung to any desired position about the rod 30, as shown in Fig. 3, and may be fixed in any adjusted position by tightening the nuts 33.

A supporting member for the free end of the tape is carried by the arms 31. This supporting member is in the form of a relatively small elongated rod 35 which extends transversely across the frame, the ends of this rod being slidably mounted in the slots 32 of the arms 31. Nuts 36 may be threaded upon the ends of the rod 35, and the nuts may be tightened against the arms in order to hold the rod 35 in any desired position in the slot 32. Thus the rod 35 which is the supporting member for the free end of the tape may be employed at the extreme outer ends of the slots 32, as shown in Fig. 2, or at a point intermediate the ends of the slots, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3. That is, the rod 35 will be adjusted toward and from the member 30 in the slot 32, and may be secured in any desired position by tightening the nuts 36.

Also, of course, the rod 35 may be swung pivotally about the member 30 so that it may stand outwardly from the stripping roll 17, as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, or may stand in an out-of-the-way position below the stripping roll 17, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, or may be swung to any other desired angular position.

In operation the lever or handle 21 is drawn downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, and the feed and stripping rolls will be rotated to draw a length of tape from a supply roll supported by the frame or case of the machine and dispense this tape forwardly of the stripping roll 17, as shown at 19. The dispensed end of the tape moves outwardly over the member 30 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is disposed in a position relatively close to the surface of the stripping roll.

If a relatively long length of tape is being dispensed, the supporting member 35 may be disposed at the extreme ends of the slots 32, as shown in Fig. 2, and the tape will be supported adjacent its free end by the rod 35, as shown in this figure. The user may insert his forefinger below the tape between the members 30 and 35, as shown at 37 in Fig. 2, and then grasping the tape between the thumb and forefinger move it upwardly against the severing blade 23 to sever it from that portion of the tape adjacent the supply roll.

If a relatively short length of tape is being dispensed, the supporting member 35 may be moved toward the pivot member 30 so that it will contact the edge of the tape, as shown in Fig. 3, and prevent this end of the tape from falling downwardly against the stripping roll or other object.

As the stripper rolls or disks 17 rotate at a greater speed than the feed roll, they act as kickers to kick the tape outwardly whereby it will travel over the lower of the two rods. The natural speed of the tape together with its relative stifiness and the direction given it by the stripper disks will normally maintain it in a position outwardly over the lower rod, as shown in Fig. 2, and it is only when a relatively long length is dispensed that the weight of the dispensed end will be sufiicient to cause it to sag against the stripper rolls or the lower part of the machine. At the end of the feeding operation the tape might then be inclined to drop down against the stripper rolls were it not for the rod 35, but during the operation of the machine the speed of the tape together with its stiffness will cause it to travel over the lower rod 35 even though the latter is at its lowermost position. Even a short length of tape will normally span the two rods 30 and 35 when the latter has been adjusted to its upper position so that the rod 35 will, when in operative position, prevent the tape from falling downwardly in contact with the part of the machine or in contact with the stripper roll.

If the character of the tape being dispensed is such that a support is not necessary, the arms 31 may be swung downwardly to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 3 where they are in out-of-the-way position so that the tape-end-supporting member 35 may be used or not as desired. In the event that short lengths of tape are dispensed, and also in connection with some kinds of tape, the member 30 will be sufiicient to support the free end of the tape so as to prevent it from contacting parts of the machine. In such case the arms 31 may be moved to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 3 or may, if desired, be entirely removed from the dispenser.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for dispensing pressure-sensitive tape comprising a frame, a feed roll rotatably supported thereon to draw the tape from the supply roll, stripper means to strip the tape from the feed roll, a pair of arms pivoted to the frame in spaced relation, one at each side of the frame, adjacent the stripper means and extending forwardly therefrom, a tape-end-supporting rod carried by said arms and extending transversely of the frame to engage the tacky side of the tape and support it from below, said member being adjustable longitudinally of said arms toward and from the frame to various positions along the path of the tape, and said arms being swingable to move said rod to an inoperative position.

2. A machine for dispensing pressure-sensitive tape comprising a frame, a feed roll rotatably mounted on the frame to which the tape adheres, stripper means carried by the flame to strip the tape from the feed roll, a pivot rod carried by the frame and extending transversely thereof adjacent to and forwardly of the stripper means and below the path of the tape, a pair of slotted arms pivoted on said rod in spaced relation, one at each side of the frame and adapted to extend forwardly therefrom, and a tape-end-supporting rod member mounted in said slots in spaced relation to the pivot member, and means for adjusting said member to various positions along the path of the tape while maintaining it parallel to its initial position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 925,576 Gibbs June 22, 1909 957,526 Weiss May 10, 1910 1,647,305 Peters Nov. 1, 1927 1,964,371 Thomas June 26, 1934 2,233,361 Anderson et a1 Feb. 25, 1941 2,650,823 Chambon Sept. 1, 1953 

